Fire-escape



(No Model.)

J. S. BURRIS & M. BIERLINE.

' FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 438,224. Patented Oct. 14, 1890.

1 union.

JAMES SALTERS BURRIS AND MICHAEL BIERLINE, OF ST. PAUL,

. MINNESOTA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,224, dated October14, 1890.

Application filed January 14, 1890. Serial No. 336,915. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES SALTERS BUR- RIS and MICHAEL BIERLINE,citizens of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county ofRamsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Fire-Escapes; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention has for its object to provide a fire-escape for buildings,which upon being tripped will automatically descend into posi tion foruse and afford a convenient and safe avenue of egress from or ingress tothe building.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan viewof our invention partially in section; Figs. 2 and 3, views of oppositeends of the same. Fig. 4 is a rear view showing the application of thehanging covering or curtain to the rear of the ladder.

. Fig, 5 is a detail View of the drum-locking device.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

The letter A represents a drum or reel, to which is connected and onwhich is wound a flexible ladder consisting, preferably, of cable-wireropes B and rounds of steel B said rounds being preferably covered withasbestus, rubber, or other non-conducting material that will affordprotection against heat, cold, or sleet. The drum A is mounted upon ashaft E, and is connected to said shaft through screw-threads 0, formedupon said shaft, engaging with a corresponding female screwthread insaid drum.

Upon one end of the shaft E is secured a gear-wheel O, with which meshesa pinion 0 mounted upon a shaft 0 secured to the bracket or frame D, inwhich the said shaft E has its bearings. A crank or handle J is appliedto the pinion-shaft C and is made use of in winding up the ladder againafter use, as will be further on explained. Mounted also upon the shaftE at the opposite side of the ladder is a friction-disk G, the samebeing connected to the shaft bya spline-and-groove connection e, which.causes it to rotate when the shaft rotates, but permits it to have anindependent movement longitudinally of the shaft. Surrounding the shaftbehind the friction-disk G is a spring-H, which tends to press forwardthe disk G, and the tension of which can be regulated by means ofsetscrews D D which work through a stationary bearing d and bear againsta collar or washer d interposed between them and the spring H.

F is a pivoted lever connected at its inner end to a pin b, which isadapted to move into and out of engagement with suitable teeth orperforations b on the outside of one end or head of the drum A, as shownin Fig. 5. The,

outer end of this lever F has connected to it a small wire hand rope orchain a, which extends down to or nearly to the ground within convenientreach of persons in either story of the building or of the firemen onthe ground.

On the lower ends of the ladder are fixed weights K for the purpose ofinitiating the unwinding of the ladder when released or tripped.

The operation of our invention is as follows: Let it be supposed thatthe apparatus is located at the upper story of the building and that theladder is wound upon the drum ready for use. To lower the ladder it isonly necessary to pull upon the hand rope a, whereupon through theoperation of the lever F the pin 1) will be withdrawn from engagementwith the drum, and the latter, under the influence of the weights K,will immediately commence to revolve and pay out the ladder. Inasmuch asthe resistance offered to the rotation of the shaft E in its bearings isgreater than that offered to the rotation of the drum A upon said shaftE, the said drum at first rotates independently of the shaft, but as itsvelocityincreases its screw-connection O with said shaft causes it tomove laterally and into contact with the friction-disk G, whichthereafter operates to retard its rotation in a de gree regulated by theadjustment which has been given the spring H by means of theadjusting-nuts D D When the ladder is fully IOC lowered, it may besteadied by means of hooks M, hinged to the side of the building atintervals and adapted to engage with the rungs of the ladder, as shownin Fig. 2. For the purpose of winding up the ladder again the pinf (seeFig. 1) is employed to connect the friction-disk G with the adjoininghead or end of the drum, after which the crank J is turned until theladder is entirely wound up. It will be noted that the shaft should beturned enough to bring the drum back to its normal position before thepin f is inserted.

A canvas or asbestus cloth L, Fig. 4, is preferably secured to theladder on the outside by ropes, straps, or otherwise, so as to be woundup or be unwound with the ladder and perform both the function of acurtain to prevent persons unaccustomed to the use of a ladder frombecoming dizzy and falling.

A sheet-iron cover I fits over the frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, andprotects both drum and ladder from the weather.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination, with the shaft E and thedrum A, having the screw-connection with the shaft, as described, of theladder secured to the drum, and the means, substantially as described,for locking and unlocking the drum, whereby upon the release of the drumthe same will revolve upon the shaft and move longitudinally thereupon,and a disk secured on the shaft for arresting the longitudinal movementof the drum and locking the drum and shaft together, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the drum and the ladder connected thereto, ofthe shaft E, connected to the drum by a screw-connection,

and the friction-disk G, mounted on the shaft so as to turn therewith,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the drum, of the ladder secured thereto and theshaft connected by the screw-connection to the drum, the friction-diskmounted on the shaft so as to turn therewitlr, its spring, and the meansfor adjusting the spring, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the drum and the ladder connected thereto, ofthe shaft upon which the drum is mounted, the crank and gears forrotating the shaft, the friction-disk mounted on the shaft, and the pinfor connecting the said friction-disk to the drum to wind up the ladder,substantially as described.

5. The combination,.with the drum and the ladder, of the independentflexible cloth suspended adjacent to the ladder and winding up andunwinding with the same, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the drum and the ladder connected thereto, ofthe shaft upon which the drum is mounted and to which it is connected bythe screw-connection, the friction-disk, its spring, and the adjusting-sorews, and the pin 17, lever F, and hand-rope a, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnes es.

JAMES SALTERS BURRIS. MICHAEL BIERLINE.

Witnesses:

LOUIS FEESER, J r., P. W. FARICY.

